June 10, 2013

Leaked Images Could Offer First Look At Windows Phone Blue Update

Leaked screenshots suggest that Windows Phone 8 is getting a makeover, which reportedly will include the addition of a notification center and an option to sort apps based on frequency of use.

According to Seth Colaner of Hot Hardware, the screenshots originate from a Reddit user known only as “chinaman28.” This individual allegedly purchased a Nokia 920 from an eBay seller, and then shared several screenshots from the device over his Flickr account — images which apparently have been removed.

“The device has some new features and a UI that aren´t on current Windows Phones, which indicates that it may be a developer´s phone,” Colaner said. In addition to the notification center and the new app-sorting features, he said that users of this alleged new interface can also “enjoy a week view in the Calendar app, and use Data Sense to check data usage,” as well as access “'zCortana´, which could be a digital assistant in the vein of Apple´s Siri.”

“The software identifies itself as version 12084.WPMAIN(wpbldlab).20130509-1407, meaning it was compiled on May 9th. An early notification center can be seen in one of the screenshots, providing access to the typical Live Tile notifications,” added Tom Warren of The Verge. He also notes that several of the programs, including “zCortana,” start with the letter Z. Microsoft typically includes those apps on developer units.

More interesting is that one application, Here Drive, mentions the words “beta BLUE” at the end of its name. Warren said that he contacted sources who said that the moniker is in reference to a rumored Windows Phone Blue update, and that the interface pictured in the images is an early version of the OS. Warren also reached out to Microsoft, but they said that they would not comment on “rumor or speculation.”

A second set of leaked images show what Computerworld´s Mike Elgan said “could be the greatest mobile phone ever” — a new Nokia Windows Phone that is “a smartphone that's also a prosumer-quality digital camera. It appears to be a cross between a Lumia 920 and Pureview 808 — basically a high-end smartphone with a 41-megapixel camera and professional-quality optics.”

However, Engadget´s Steve Dent cautions that the device could be a prototype and is nothing more than a rumor until it is officially confirmed by the manufacturer.

Microsoft´s buzz certainly seems to be garnering attention, including from their competitors — as eWeek reports that Apple is likely to borrow some elements of the Windows Phone UI when they unveil the new version of their iOS operating system this week at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).